Archive for Q&A

Tell us about yourself—where did you/do you go to school, where are you from and what brought you to Peppercomm?

I grew up in New Hampshire near to beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee. I have my boating license and back home I spend ALL of my free time swimming, boating, tubing and jet-skiing. Although I can water-ski, I am quite horrendous at it, so that’s a work in progress I suppose.

I am currently a Junior at Ithaca College, studying Integrated Marketing Communications with a minor in sports studies. I am spending this semester as a “study abroad” in NYC. I put in the quotations because Interning at Peppercomm is my focus this semester and I am taking barley enough credits to be considered a student. That being said I take an art in NYC class on Saturdays where we visit different museums and art installations. I will return to Ithaca for my senior year in the fall.

I found Peppercomm when looking for internships online. Upon further research, I found many references speaking highly of Peppercomm and the humorous atmosphere it provides. As important is it is to love what you do, I believe the people you work with make all the difference in how much you enjoy your job. To see that Peppercomm focuses on company culture and an engaging workplace environment was so enticing to me. After being here for over a month now, I am happy to report Peppercomm and exceeded those expectations

When you’re not hard at work at Peppercomm, what do you like to do?

I am currently living in Brooklyn were there are an abundance of restaurants, bars and concerts. I’m not going to lie, the accessibility of delicious food has become a problem. My roommate and I has started doing adventure Friday food nights. We would try different restaurants you can only find in NYC and we have since had to replace them with Friday gym nights. As for NYC I like to walk around the city exploring and avoid being pooped on by pigeons.

What area of the industry do you find the most appealing and why?

I am most interested in Social media, marketing research and creative. Social media is intriguing because it is constantly changing, as trends developed and disintegrate. As for marketing research, I have been lucky enough to work on tasks that involve following consumer habits and media trends. Lastly I like anything involving creative, between campaign brainstorms to Photoshop, I’ll always take an opportunity to be original and creative.

Any surprises or revelations about your role, the industry or Peppercomm?

I am pleasantly surprised by the encouraging and collaborative environment here at Peppercomm. Coming directly from a college, where group projects are rarely composed of motivated and efficient team members. Transitioning to Peppercomm has been delightful, the teams here consist of those who have a passion and dedication for the work they are producing as well as a desire to help those around them. I believe this supportive environment has directly improved my quality of work.

Where do you see yourself going in the industry?

PR is an adaptive industry and a profession that can keep me challenged. As I am beginning my career I can’t imagine what direction I would take within the many facets of PR. At some point I’d like to incorporate my sports studies minor and maybe help with sporting event media coverage and preparation.

Intern Lightning Round Questions:

Netflix or Hulu? Hulu. Most shows on Netflix that I like, I’ve already seen.

Text or Call? Text.

Coffee or Tea? Tea.

Dogs or Cats? Dogs! My sister is allergic to cats so I haven’t met many cats.

NYC or San Francisco? NYC, I have never been to San Francisco but it looks beautiful.

Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars. I own a shirt of Chewbacca holding a skateboard. I got peer-pressured into buying it for twin day in high school.

Crunchy or smooth peanut butter? Smooth.

Mac or PC? MAC!

Sweetened or Unsweetened Tea? Sweetened, bring on the sugar.

Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network? Nickelodeon, although Scooby-Doo was an all-time favorite back in the day.

Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla, but chocolate is always a good option.

Seltzer or Water? Water.

Cake or Pie? Cake, specifically cupcakes.

Tacos or Pizza? Pizza, always pizza.

Hogwarts House? HufflePuff, I’ve never watched the movies or read the books, I have no idea if that is even accurate. My friend made me take online house sorting test in exchange for Ben and Jerrys. I think I got the better end of the deal.

Tell us about yourself—where did you/do you go to school, where are you from and what brought you to Peppercomm?

I am originally from Columbia, SC. I graduated in May from College of Charleston in beautiful, historic Charleston (it’s like going to school in a postcard). The College has an incredible program for communication majors/minors called the Department of Communication Advisory Council – and Ted Birkhahn and Steve Cody just happen to be members. The Council holds events each semester where members speak about industry trends, making the leap from college to career, and other important topics. I attended Ted’s speech (a TED Talk, if you will) about the importance of humor, honesty and empathy in organizational culture. When I visited Peppercomm on the annual Department of Communication spring break trip, I could see the evidence of everything Ted spoke of. I knew I had to pursue an opportunity to come and work here.

When you’re not hard at work at Peppercomm, what do you like to do?

New York has some of the greatest museums in the world – so you’ll probably find me wandering around one of them. My personal favorite is The Met. If I’m not at a museum, you might be able to catch me at a random hole-in-the-wall bookstore of some kind. If you still can’t find me, then I’m probably just wandering around the city in circles because I have a terrible sense of direction.

What area of the industry do you find the most appealing and why?

The unknown. Our industry is in flux and things are changing at a rapid pace. It’s complicated. It’s challenging. It’s disruptive. But I think more than anything, it’s exciting.

Any surprises or revelations about your role, the industry or Peppercomm?

I didn’t realize how many metaphorical hats communication professionals have to wear for their clients. You’re a scholar, a communicator, a researcher, a therapist, a friend, a writer and a data scientist all in one day. You have to constantly stretch your professional and interpersonal muscles because our industry will only be asked to do more in an increasingly complicated communication landscape.

Where do you see yourself going in the industry?

As far as I possibly can. PR is changing rapidly and I don’t know what the industry will look like in five, 15 or 25 years’ time. What I do know is that I want to keep challenging myself and learning from my coworkers. I want to feel like my talents create value for my teams and I want to wake up in the morning excited to go to work. I want to pursue opportunities that satisfy those needs. The industry will change, but my desires (probably) won’t.

Text or Call? You’re more than welcome to do both. I can’t tell you how to live your life. I’m 90% sure I’ll ignore your call and text you back, but you’re free to do whatever you want to do.

Coffee or Tea? Coffee, but only if it doesn’t TASTE like coffee.

Dogs or Cats? If you search the internet for “dog saves life,” you will find thousands of videos of heroic pooches jumping into raging rivers to save the lives of people they’ve never even sniffed before. I once saw a cat bat a menorah off a mantle and almost set a house on fire. Case closed. Woof.

NYC or San Francisco? Tony Bennett sang a song called “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” He then proceeded to never move there and lives in New York City to this day. I’ll just leave it at that.

Crunchy or smooth peanut butter? Smooth. I feel like crunchy peanut butter is some sort of agonizing torture for the intact peanuts. Making these nuts be suspended in a liquefied paste made entirely out of their friends and family? No thank you – I’ll take the humane jar, please.

Mac or PC? I was a devoted PC user throughout college. And then Windows crashed in the middle of a 12-page paper on the history of insane asylums. No autosave. No recovery. It was as if I had watched Bill Gates kick a puppy. I now have a Macbook and I am thoroughly satisfied.

Sweetened or Unsweetened Tea? I lived in South Carolina for practically my whole life. I didn’t even know unsweetened tea was a thing until I came to New York.

Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network? Cartoon Network. Johnny Bravo. Cow and Chicken. Courage the Cowardly Dog. And not to mention all the Adult Swim content. I was thoroughly entertained and permanently scarred.

Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla ice cream. Chocolate milk.

Seltzer or Water? Peppercomm has converted me to the seltzer dark side.

Cake or Pie? Some questions are just too offensive to answer. I’m going to protest this type of binary thinking by continuing to eat both.

Hogwarts House? I’m 80% sure that the sorting hat would say that I’m a Hufflepuff. I’m also 20% sure that the sorting hat would say “You don’t even go here” because I got on the wrong train at King’s Cross Station.

Today we are going to get to know, Peppercomm intern Gisselle Trochez!

Tell us about yourself—where did you/do you go to school, where are you from and what brought you to Peppercomm?

Hi, I’m Gisselle! I graduated from Biola University in Southern California this past May, where I studied Business Marketing. I proudly share the same birthplace with the very average Frank Sinatra – Hoboken, New Jersey. Honestly, you really can’t find two places that starkly contrast each other as much as Southern California and Northern New Jersey do, but I’m glad to have spent 4 years in (my idea of) paradise. While many think I’m crazy for not staying in California, I couldn’t stay away from the best pizza (and city) on earth.

I found out about Peppercomm through Sam Bruno, a Manager of Client Relations here at PC and also a friend of mine. For years she’d always talk about how much she loved her job (mostly via her #ilovemyjob hashtag on insta), and so when she told me about an open intern position, I was excited to look into it. From the research I did on the work Peppercomm does and their company culture, it seemed like a great first step in my career.

When you’re not hard at work at Peppercomm, what do you like to do?

As an introverted extrovert, I genuinely enjoy spending time on my own, but ultimately rather be surrounded by people. When I’m on my own, I nerd out a whole lot. I love design, tech, and start-ups, so I tend to read-up on these topics. I also like to be hands-on with my interests, so aside from reading I mess around on the Adobe Creative Suite, my drone/camera, and the like. When with people I either want to be exploring old/new towns, or sitting on the couch for hours on end watching Netflix. You either get super high-energy or super-chill with me, really no in-between.

What area of the industry do you find the most appealing and why?

Maybe it’s my marketing research background, but I really love doing research (which might sound like the most boring aspect to most, understandably). I’ve had to do some in-depth research that ranged from bizarre food trends to innovation in technology, all to which make me a bit more entertaining and knowledgeable at parties and hangouts. And on a more serious note that applies more to my career and less to impact on personal life – I think research is the most critical piece to strategizing across all industries, so I always think it’s important to practice doing it well. I always think it’s cool to know that my research was the basis of an initiative.

Any surprises or revelations about your role, the industry or Peppercomm?

I’ve been pleasantly surprised to be treated like a real team member – what I get to do is important to the objectives of the client and the other team members rely on me for it. I’ve never felt like what I’m doing is unimportant ‘intern’ work, everything has been a great opportunity to learn.

Where do you see yourself going in the industry?

Working at Peppercomm further solidified how much I enjoy doing research and strategy. Aside from PR projects, I got the cool opportunity to work with the measurement team on a marketing project for a big client here which allowed me to take a bunch of data and use it to tell a story as well as create strategic recommendations. I will most likely take a more marketing-heavy tract from here on out, but I wouldn’t trade my newly acquired PR brain for anything. I’m always a fan of learning different perspectives.

Pro-tip for future interns: don’t be afraid to talk to someone about any different interests you may have! I set up coffee with the Director of Marketing here, Alena Caras, simply just to hear about what she does and what marketing at an agency looks like. Less than a week later I was requested to help out with the marketing project. Use that voice!

Intern Lightning Round Questions:

Netflix or Hulu? Netflix but Hulu’s my go-to for my 90’s shows

Text or Call? Text

Coffee or Tea? Coffee

Dogs or Cats? I’m half and half on this. Having a cat that’s actually good will do that to you

NYC or San Francisco? NYC forever

Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Trek

Crunchy or smooth peanut butter? Smooth

Mac or PC? I’m definitely part of the Apple cult, so, Mac

Sweetened or Unsweetened Tea? Sweetened

Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network? Honestly, so so difficult – I have to say Nickelodeon on the basis that it gave me less nightmares (*cough cough* Courage the Cowardly Dog).

Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla

Seltzer or Water? Water

Cake or Pie? Funfetti cake

Tacos or Pizza? Pizza. “Time is money, money is power, power is pizza, pizza is knowledge.”

Today we are going to get to know, Peppercomm intern Samantha Derderian!

Tell us about yourself—where did you/do you go to school, where are you from and what brought you to Peppercomm?

Hallo! I’m Samantha. I originally hail from the Boston suburbs, where I grew up playing soccer in the fall, skiing in the winter, and performing in plays and musicals in the spring. I am a phenomenally well-rounded individual.

Moving on, I recently graduated from the tiny liberal arts school, Connecticut College. At Conn, I was a Film Major with and English and Psychology minor. I like to say that I created my own Communications major. This is not true, but I like to say it.

Though it would not be a lie to say that I stumbled upon Peppercomm. Searching for summer internships, I was tipped onto Peppercomm by a family friend. Enthralled after one visit to the company website, I hastily applied to the Summer 2016 Internship session—one month past the deadline. However, the team I spoke with was so kind and informative that I never forgot Peppercomm. And here I am, more than a year later.

When you’re not hard at work at Peppercomm, what do you like to do?

When I am not at Peppercomm, I can be found in my apartment where my roommates are telling me to go outside. If I put Netflix away, I like to stroll around in my neighborhood. I recently moved to the upper east side and there are a surprising number of bars, restaurants and local shops that I have yet to discover. I also tend to travel on the weekends. Growing and going to school in the Northeast, I have a lot a friends in surrounding States and I am slowly visiting them all. However, all these extravagant plans entirely depend on my willingness to not be lazy.

What area of the industry do you find the most appealing and why?

I am working on a crisis account and I really enjoy the pace the account requires. With a fast pace, it feels like I am actively contributing to a company’s image. Furthermore, the account revolves around a social issue, so I have become quite embedded in the politics of a few small towns. I was almost a Government minor until I took a class that was basically “Intro to Law School” which stopped me in my tracks, so I actually enjoy the local political jargon. Because of my interest in politics coupled with the speed at which the account moves, I get a lot from the account.

Any surprises or revelations about your role, the industry or Peppercomm?

Particularly at Peppercomm, I was surprised by how integrated we interns are. Everything from the job posting to past reviews explain how entrenched interns are in the work. I did not believe it until I was living it. We are very valued here, and who doesn’t like to be valued?

Another revelation I had a long time ago but I still think is worth wild to point out: PR is nothing like what Samantha does on Sex and the City.

Where do you see yourself going in the industry?

I could see myself going anywhere in the industry. I would be interested to try the in-house route, just to say that I have done it all. Personally, I think I am too young to claim I know where I want go in the industry. I’ll go where the industry takes me. I’m wise like that. I like to think.

Intern Lightning Round Questions:

Netflix or Hulu? Netflix.

Text or Call? Call.

Coffee or Tea? Iced Coffee.

Dogs or Cats? Cats—they just like me more.

NYC or San Francisco? NYC.

Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars.

Crunchy or smooth peanut butter? I literally find the taste and smell of peanut butter nauseating.

Mac or PC? Mac.

Sweetened or Unsweetened Tea? …Coffee.

Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network? Cartoon Network—Code Name Kids Next Door!

Tell us about yourself—where did you/do you go to school, where are you from and what brought you to Peppercomm?

Hey y’all! My name is Katie and I am a recent graduate from the College of Charleston (CofC) where I majored in Communications and minored in Film Studies. I was born and raised a southerner in Lexington, South Carolina, but I will always tell people I am from Charleston because that place feels the most like home (secret is out, don’t tell anyone).

I have always been interested in any kind of media, though entertainment media holds a special place in my heart and, at times, an obsession. I think it is fascinating that there are so many things that go on behind the curtain. From the intriguing articles we read, the broadcast segments we glue our eyes to and different companies that work together to create the TV shows & films we watch. I was first introduced to PR during my first internship at the end of my junior year of college, which focused on the in-house side of PR. I knew I wanted to focus more on strategic media operations, so when I graduated PR was a direction I knew I wanted to pursue.

I heard about Peppercomm through my school. Steve Cody and Ted Birkhahn would visit the College of Charleston frequently because they were on the CofC Advisory Council for the Communication Department. The reputation of Peppercomm was clear on campus and when my professor and mentor Beth Goodier urged me to apply for its internship, I knew I had to go for it. It is one of the boldest moves I have made and will never regret it.

What better place to pursue PR than in one of the biggest cities the world?

When you’re not hard at work at Peppercomm, what do you like to do?

Before coming to Peppercomm, I had never been to New York City. Now I love getting to continually go out and explore all the different opportunities this booming city has to offer. I love that you can wander the streets of New York and find a place you have never been before or maybe witness a person performing on the street.

Being a huge lover of film, I always make it a point to try and go to the cinema. New York always has niche film events going on every week, so there are a lot of options. I love going to bookstores with my friends to pick up the next gripping novel and finding new places to eat because I am a lover of food.

I love to write, so in my spare time I’m brainstorming my future masterpiece of a screenplay that I want Baz Luhrmann or David Fincher to direct (a girl can dream). Though, my greatest passion that I hope to get to do more of is travelling. Just like New York has thousands of opportunities, there are so many other places I want to visit and experience. Ever since I studied abroad during undergrad, I have developed a wanderlust, so I am always planning for my next adventure.

What area of the industry do you find the most appealing and why?

I love the media relations side of PR. Getting to reach out to top tier outlets and getting a response can be exciting, even more so when they are interested in what your client has to offer. It makes all the times you have been turned down or left without a response worthwhile.

I also really enjoy research and reporting. Given that I am a certified social media stalker, as many of my friends put it, I love getting to do any kind of audit or research pertaining to background on a competitor for a client.

Any surprises or revelations about your role, the industry or Peppercomm?

This is my first PR Agency job, so I have been able to witness firsthand how people who work in PR are some of the most innovative and diligent people you will ever meet. PR can be a thankless job at times, but everyone here at Peppercomm manages to celebrate every win and support one another when times can get tight. In such a fast-paced, constantly shifting environment, it is neat to witness Peppercomm as an agency that not only takes the heavy load, but does it as a team.

I love getting to work with multiple groups of people. I always knew that in a professional role you will always be working with some sort of team, but at Peppercomm I work with up to 7 different teams! It can be refreshing and exciting because everyone always takes a different perspective and brings different ideas to the client.

Where do you see yourself going in the industry?

I still am not exactly sure, but that is the fun of it! This industry is constantly changing, so I am trying to keep an open mind when it comes to future endeavors. However, one day I know I would love to be involved in some sort of strategic communication role for a film distribution or production company and combine my two passions.

Intern Lightning Round Questions:

Netflix or Hulu? Netflix

Text or Call? Call

Coffee or Tea? Coffee

Dogs or Cats? Dogs. I love them so much that I have started my own #doggosofNYC hashtag on Snapchat. Hopefully one day it will catch on.

NYC or San Francisco? NYC, though I would love to check out San Francisco

Star Wars or Star Trek? STAR WARS….and Han Solo shot first!

Crunchy or smooth peanut butter? I grew up crunchy, but lately I have realized my love for smooth

Mac or PC? Mac.

Sweetened or Unsweetened Tea? I am a southerner, so you would think sweet. However, I prefer unsweetened.

Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network? Nickelodeon, though I have to give Cartoon Network a shoutout because Scooby Doo was my favorite show growing up.